Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc. (Nasdaq:NXST) (“Nexstar”) and Marshall
Broadcasting Group, Inc. (“MBG”) announced that the Federal
Communications Commission (“FCC”) has approved the license transfer of
the stations in the table below associated with the acquisition of the
stock of the Grant Company, Inc.. The license transfer to minority-owned
Marshall Broadcasting is an important step in fulfilling Nexstar’s
commitment to incubate broadcast station ownership by minority-owned
companies, which is also a key FCC initiative.
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Acquiror
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Market
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Station
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Affiliation
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Nexstar
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Roanoke, VA
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WFXR
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FOX/CW
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Nexstar
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Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA
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WWCW
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CW/FOX
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Nexstar
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Huntsville, AL
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WZDX
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FOX
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Nexstar
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Quad Cities/Burlington, IA
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KGCW
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CW
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MBG
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Quad Cities/Davenport, IA
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KLJB
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FOX
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Nexstar
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LaCrosse, WI
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WLAX
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FOX
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Nexstar
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LaCrosse/Chippewa Falls, WI
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WEUX
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FOX
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Perry A. Sook, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of
Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc., commented, “We are pleased to announce
approval of an accretive transaction to benefit Nexstar shareholders. As
a result of this approval, Nexstar will lead the industry in incubating
a new, minority-controlled entrant to broadcasting and bringing
additional news, information and specialized programming to markets
where MBG will operate.
“The MBG transaction serves as a model to increase media ownership
diversity while extending Nexstar’s long-term, well-documented
initiatives to serve the public interests and needs of local viewers,
hometown businesses, and organizations in the markets where we operate.
Nexstar’s focus on localism including expanded local news, sports and
other programming remains a key element of our broadcast platform and
the addition of new minority-oriented public affairs programming
complements this strategy. As an established and long-time media
executive with extensive broadcast operating experience, Pluria Marshall
has the background and skills necessary to serve local interests while
maintaining independent operations and programming decisions for the
stations.”
Pluria Marshall, Jr., President and CEO of MBG commented, “We are
delighted to secure the approval from the FCC and the support of Nexstar
as we move forward in diversifying the ownership of media assets among
minority operators. This is a great day for Americans, minorities, MBG
and Nexstar as equality of media asset ownership is as important as
equality is in all facets of the country. We applaud the FCC for its
forward thinking approach to providing appropriate guidelines and
structure that enable new entrants to own, operate and program
television stations. We look forward to playing an active role in the
new communities in which we will operate while developing
minority-oriented public affairs programming that will air on MBG
stations and be syndicated to other television stations nationwide.”
About Nexstar Broadcasting Group, Inc.
Nexstar
Broadcasting Group is a leading diversified media company that
leverages localism to bring new services and value to consumers and
advertisers through its traditional media, digital and mobile media
platforms. Nexstar owns, operates, programs or provides sales and other
services to 80 television stations and 21 related digital multicast
signals reaching 46 markets or approximately 13.1% of all U.S.
television households. Nexstar’s portfolio includes affiliates of NBC,
CBS, ABC, FOX, MyNetworkTV, The CW, Telemundo, Bounce TV, Me-TV, and
LATV. Nexstar’s 48 community portal websites offer additional
hyper-local content and verticals for consumers and advertisers,
allowing audiences to choose where, when and how they access content
while creating new revenue opportunities.
Pro-forma for the completion of all announced transactions Nexstar will
own, operate, program or provides sales and other services to 108
television stations and related digital multicast signals reaching 57
markets or approximately 17.3% of all U.S. television households.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes forward-looking statements. We have based
these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and
projections about future events. Forward-looking statements include
information preceded by, followed by, or that includes the words
"guidance," "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "could," or similar
expressions. For these statements, the Company claims the protection of
the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements
contained in this news release, concerning, among other things, changes
in net revenue, cash flow and operating expenses, involve risks and
uncertainties, and are subject to change based on various important
factors, including the impact of changes in national and regional
economies, our ability to service and refinance our outstanding debt,
successful integration of acquired television stations (including
achievement of synergies and cost reductions), pricing fluctuations in
local and national advertising, future regulatory actions and conditions
in the television stations' operating areas, competition from others in
the broadcast television markets served by the Company, volatility in
programming costs, the effects of governmental regulation of
broadcasting, industry consolidation, technological developments and
major world news events. Unless required by law, we undertake no
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether
as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In light of
these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events
discussed in this news release might not occur. You should not place
undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as
of the date of this release. For more details on factors that could
affect these expectations, please see our filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.
Copyright Business Wire 2014